Transfer Arrangements (Admission September 2012)

Lagan College is an integrated, all ability school with an annual intake of 200 students. In September 2012 we will be admitting our new Year 8 intake via two entrance routes.

GL Assessment- Higher Ability (Grammar) Route
35% of our Year 8 intake will be admitted via our higher ability route and will have undertaken the GL Assessment only.

All claims for Special Circumstances should be registered with the Assessment Centre (Lagan College) before 4pm on Friday 16th December 2011.

Please click on the following links to download all the relevant information with regard to claiming for Special Circumstances.

All documents in a single zip file

	Individual Documents
	A Guide to Claiming Special Circumstances
	SCR - Special Circumstances Registration
	SC1 - Special Circumstances Claim Form

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

All Ability Route
The remaining 65% of our Year 8 intake will be admitted via our all ability route. This route does not require any assessment to be undertaken by students.

If we can be of further assistance in relation to the GL Assessment or the entrance criteria and procedure in general, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Carol Baker the Principal’s PA on 028 9040 5584.

Admissions Criteria for Year 13

Click Here to download this policy document.

All A/S Level courses:

1. Students should have a minimum of 5 GCSE passes A* to C (at least one of which must be in English or Maths).

2. Students wishing to take 4 A Levels should have a minimum of 7 GCSE passes A* to C (at least one of which must be in English or Maths).

3. Students with the highest GCSE score – will be considered in descending order - an applicant’s GCSE score being calculated on the basis of GCSE results as follows:

A* - 4 points / A – 3 points / B – 2 points / C – 1 point

4. For all A Level subjects, students will be expected to have attained a Grade B or above at GCSE in the chosen subjects or in related subjects, if there is not a GCSE equivalent, (unless otherwise stated in the specification).

5. Applied A Levels have specific entrance requirements.

Applied Business Studies (Double/Single Award): no requirement to have studied this course at GCSE Level.

Applied Health and Social Care (Double/Single Award): required to meet the overall number of points with a good range of A – C Grades.

Applied ICT (Single Award): GCSE ICT Grade B or GCSE Business Studies Grade B.

Applied Moving Image Arts (Single Award): Grade B in a related subject at GCSE such as Art, RE, English Literature, etc.

Applied Science (Single Award): GCSE Core and Additional Science Grade CC or GCSE Core Science Grade C.

6. Students wishing to take AS Physics, Chemistry or Biology should have completed the Double Award GCSE course with the required grades.

7. All students wishing to enter Sixth Form should have a minimum attendance rate of 93% and a good punctuality record. Students whose attendance rate falls below this level must produce medical evidence/special circumstances to explain their absences.

8. Students wishing to enter Year 13 must have a good behaviour record and should have demonstrated a positive attitude to work. External applicants will be expected to provide their last school report and/or a letter of recommendation for their previous school.

9. Students wishing to enter Year 13 should be prepared to make a commitment to participate fully in the daily running of the school.

10. Students with an exceptional circumstance may apply to the Board of Governors for this to be considered.

External Student Applications:

Lagan College welcomes applications for entry into Sixth Form from students from other schools if:

1. they are able to fulfil the admissions criteria;

2. appropriate places are available within the College’s admission numbers and/or places are available in AS subject choices.

We especially welcome students from schools where there is no post-16 provision and, also those whose course of choice is not on offer at their own school.

We look favourably at applications from students coming from other integrated schools, eg Blackwater Integrated College.

Admissions Under-Subscription:

In the exceptional circumstance of Lagan College’s Year 13 admissions being under-subscribed, a student with less than the minimum requirement for admission will be considered for a place in Year 13.

Lagan College students will be given priority and then all other external students will be considered.

Students with the highest GCSE score – will be considered in descending order - an applicant’s GCSE score being calculated on the basis of GCSE results as follows:

A* - 4 points / A – 3 points / B – 2 points / C – 1 point

A three A Level package will be agreed between the student and the College which should ensure that they achieve their full potential and thus facilitating their career progression.

Lagan College’s criteria for extra places made available by the Department of Education for admission into Year 13 (Sixth Form).

The Department of Education may, on request, increase the number of pupils that the school can admit to its Year 13. Places that become available in this way shall be allocated only to pupils who meet the basic eligibility criteria for Sixth Form study (as above) and shall be allocated in the order determined by the criteria to be applied in the order set down.

1 Pupils who have most recently completed Year 12 in Lagan College.

2 Pupils from other schools where admission to an extra place at Lagan College has been agreed by the Department of Education.

Parents should note how the Department of Education will, in response to a school’s request, increase the school’s enrolment number in order to allow an extra post -16 pupil to enrol. DE will first check whether there is another school or schools of a type suitable for that pupil within an hour’s journey of where the pupil lives. If there is, DE will then check whether this other school or schools with places available may provide all of the post-16 courses that the pupil wishes to pursue. If these checks find that no other suitable school may provide all of the post-16 courses that the pupil wishes to pursue – then DE will agree a school’s request for an extra place.

What is a school of a type that is suitable for a pupil? To determine this, DE first considers all schools to be one of 4 types: (i) denominational (ii) non-denominational (iii) integrated and (iv) Irish-medium. A school requesting an extra place for a post-16 pupil will belong to one of these 4 types and DE will consider any other school or school from this same type as suitable for the pupil. DE will also consider as suitable for the pupil any school from the same type of school that the child attended in Year 12.

Mrs Amanda McNamee

Principal

August 2011

General FAQ

As Lagan College is oversubscribed, is there any point applying, as my child may have very little chance of gaining admission?

Although Lagan College has currently more pupils applying than we are able to take, we will, like all schools, be less heavily over-subscribed in the future due to a downturn in the school age population. Moreover, almost 75% of first preference applicants in 2010 were successful in gaining admission.

My son/daughter attends a controlled/maintained primary school. Will they find it difficult to gain admission, because a large number of successful applicants attend integrated primary schools?

Approximately 25% of applicants to Lagan College are from the integrated primary sector. (Overall, primary and post primary integrated schools account for just 6% of the whole school population). This means that 75% of pupils admitted to Year 8 come from controlled and maintained primary schools and this gives an excellent balance to our Year Group.

My child attends an integrated primary school. Is it true that a significant number of pupils from integrated primary schools are unsuccessful in gaining admission to Lagan College?

In fact, a very small number of applicants from integrated primary schools is unsuccessful in gaining places in Lagan College. In the last five years, the average percentage of applicants from integrated primary schools who were unsuccessful in gaining admission is between 1% and 2%.

Do I need to apply twice to Lagan College, once for the grammar stream entry and once for the all-ability entry?

Any unsuccessful applicants for the grammar stream will automatically be considered for the all-ability entry. Only one application needs to be made. Once an applicant is admitted, progress is regularly reviewed and all pupils have an opportunity to work at a pace which is suited to their ability in different subjects. Applicants are in no way disadvantaged if they do not live close to the school. The College is served by a wide network of 16 school buses and our students say that one of the things they most enjoy about the school is the opportunity to make friends with a range of people from different areas and backgrounds.